Papicha

Algeria's submission to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film focuses on a girl who longs to go into fashion amid the country's civil war, with Islamist militias targeting "immodest" women.

Mounia Meddour's "Papicha" has both lighthearted scenes and intense ones, never losing the audience's attention in addressing the fear under which Algeria's women have to live. It's sad that Algeria spent over a century under French occupation - including a war of independence during which French forces tortured prisoners - and then after independence the ruling party nullified an unfavorable election result, leading to civil war (in fact, it was only twenty years ago this month that the war ended).

All in all, good movie. Lead actress Lyna Khoudri more recently appeared in "The French Dispatch".

I absolutely loved it. Totally represents algeria back then. Also, it kind of still does until now. I went through a lot too, we want to live not to argue and fight to live.

Papicha is a powerful movie. Harsh and brutal, yet sometimes sweet and joyful despite the cruelty around the characters.

Papicha tells us never to give up. It's a cry of hope and resistance. A true gem.

The first time I've heard about this movie, and the fact it was Algeria's submission to the Oscars, it caught my attention; the plot reminded me a bit of another amazing algerian movie (I still hide to smoke) and so we went. And, ladies and gentlemen, what a movie! There is a fine balance between fun/light scenes with others which clearly showcase the political chaos of the time, but even the fun scenes carry at least a bit of anticipation in the back, something could go wrong at any moment, and this is not something this film let the viewer forget (at least, not me). Despair, in fact, was a feeling I felt a lot of time during the movie. But even more than that clear and raw despair/terror, this film really excels in providing an atmosphere of apparent powerlessness; "everything is changing around me, what I can do?". Not only the characters were all very realistic, but Papicha herself was the perfect protagonist to this story, and the acting here is superb. All and all, one of my favorites movies of 2019.

I get a feeling there are a lot of films about women in islamic societies, this ranks high. I recently watched "Mustang" and that film had almost an ethereal way of depicting the girls' innocence and foreshadowed sexuality. Papicha has a more realistic approach and it nails it just as well, or better.

It depicts many shades of the girls psychology, many levels of fear, worry, nuissance or offense. Their reactions might show humour, stubborness, pride, comformity, disbelief... It really shows the dilemma of wanting to be free, but also safe, wanting to keep hope but without fleeing or depending on anyone, all of it while suffering a reality closing in.

I don't think it can even be labelled as a feminist film with the sort of pressure they had to put up with, things got seriously messed up in a country with a violent past, from the process of independence to the rise of fundamentalism. There's only one scene with a man suffering the fanatism but it's there, an important one that refers to weaponizing language by comformist women, so there you go. One could call it a failed opportunity to broaden the issue but no, I think the film would have lost its rhythm and it does focus so well on the group of students that it pays off, widely.

Strong, confident, liveful film-making that takes you on a ride, makes you feel the pressure but helps the viewer all the way, even when it might get tough to watch. Recommended.